>>> THIS MORNING IN SMALL
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS, WE ARE
CELEBRATING A SPECIAL DAY.
TODAY, OF COURSE, IS SMALL
BUSINESS SATURDAY.
>> AND IT’S A DAY TO SUPPORT THE
LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE THE
LIFE BLOOD OF ALL OF OUR TOWNS
FROM COAST TO COAST.
SO STEPHANIE RUHLE IS NBC’S
SENIOR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT
AND SHE IS HERE TO HELP US FIND
THE BEST WAYS TO SHOP SMALL.
STEPH, GOOD MORNING.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> HEY, GUYS.
>> STEPH, LET ME GET THIS
STARTED IF I CAN RIGHT NOW.
I FEEL LIKE HOW WE SPEND RIGHT
NOW IS GOING TO IMPACT WHAT OUR
COMMUNITIES LOOK LIKE WHEN THIS
PANDEMIC FINALLY PASSES, RIGHT?
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SPENDING
THEIR MONEY ON THOSE BIG BOX
STORES EITHER ONLINE OR IN
PERSON, BUT HOW DO WE SUPPORT
THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES?
>> WE’VE GOT TO DO IT.
WE TALK ALL ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE
OF SHOPPING LOCAL, BUT THIS YEAR
WE’VE GOT TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE
OUR MOUTH IS AND ACTUALLY DOING
IT.
THERE’S SOME REAL ADVANTAGES TO
IT.
THINK ABOUT EVEN BEFORE THE
HOLIDAYS, THERE HAVE BEEN ALL
SORTS OF SHIPPING DELAYS THIS
YEAR.
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, MOST OF
US HAVE SHIFTED TO ONLINE
SHOPPING AND THERE’S BEEN
MASSIVE DELIVERY DELAYS.
WELL, THAT BOENTWON’T BE THE CAS
YOU’RE SHOPPING LOCAL AT YOUR
REGULAR STORES ON MAIN STREET.
MOST STORES HAVE CURBSIDE PICKUP
SO REACH OUT TO THOSE STORES,
ORDER YOUR PRODUCTS AND YOU CAN
GET THEM SAME DAY.
THAT’S A HUGE POSITIVE.
YOU CAN DO THAT AT BIG BOX
STORES TOO BUT THAT MEANS A
DRIVE OUT TO THE MALL AND THAT’S
A WHOLE PRODUCTION.
IF YOU JUST DO IT IN YOUR
HOMETOWN, YOU’LL HELP THOSE
BUSINESSES STAY AFLOAT.
ALSO, THINK ABOUT THIS VERY
WEEKEND.
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ARE WHEN
ALL SORTS OF SMALL BUSINESSES
MAKE THE LION’S SHARE OF MONEY
THEY DO THROUGH THE WHOLE YEAR,
SO THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU
NORMALLY WOULD BE SPENDING.
MAYBE THIS WEEKEND, PETER, IS
WHEN YOU TRADITIONALLY GO TO A
LOCAL BAR OR RESTAURANT WITH A
BUNCH OF YOUR HOME BOYS.
MAYBE THIS IS WHEN YOU DO YOGA
CLASS WITH YOUR FRIENDS ON
FAMILY.
WE KNOW WE DON’T GET TO DO THAT
THIS YEAR BUT YOU CAN STILL GO
TO THAT RESTAURANT, GO TO THAT
YOGA CENTER, BUY A GIFT
CERTIFICATE AND MAYBE GIVE THAT
TO YOUR FRIENDS THAT YOU DON’T
GET TO GO OUT WITH.
MAKE IT AN IOU.
NEXT YEAR WE’RE GOING HARD TO
THIS BAR.
>> I’M GOING TO YOGA WITH MY
HOME BOYS, MIX IT UP A LITTLE
BIT.
>> LET’S PUT THIS INTO BROADER
PERSPECTIVE, STEPH, BECAUSE A
LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHED AS THE DOW
DID HIT A RECORD HIGH THIS WEEK
BUT IT SORT OF UNDERSCORES THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALL STREET
AND MAIN STREET BECAUSE YOU HAVE
MORE THAN 160,000 SMALL
BUSINESSES THAT HAVE GONE OUT OF
BUSINESS.
60% OF THEM EXPECTED TO BE
CLOSED PERMANENTLY, STEPH.
SO WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO
SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES?
>> THIS PANDEMIC HAS BEEN
DEVASTATING FOR SMALL BUSINESS
IN AMERICA.
FIRST IN THE SPRING WHEN WE HAD
THE SHUTDOWNS, THEN LACK OF
FUNDING, AND NOW HERE WE ARE
WITH MORE RESTRICTIONS.
SO LOOK ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN SEPTEMBER WE SAW 25% OF SMALL
BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN.
IN PLACES LIKE NEW YORK CITY,
ONE IN FIVE SMALL BUSINESSES.
IN OTHER CITIES IT WAS EVEN
BIGGER.
IN SAN FRANCISCO, ALMOST HALF OF
SMALL BUSINESSES WERE CLOSED IN
SEPTEMBER.
SO WE’VE GOT TO GET CREATIVE,
NOT JUST BECAUSE, OH, WE CARE
ABOUT THESE BUSINESSES, BUT SIX
MONTHS FROM NOW YOU’RE GOING TO
WANT THEM BECAUSE YOU’RE GOING
TO NEED THEM.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT
YOU’RE BUYING FOR YOURSELF OR
YOUR FAMILY, THINK
NONTRADITIONAL.
I KNOW YOU WOULDN’T THINK, OH,
YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M GOING TO GET
KRISTEN A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO A
DRY CLEANERS THIS YEAR.
THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE NUMBER ONE
THING YOU WANT, BUT SIX MONTHS
FROM NOW, YOU’RE GOING TO NEED
THAT DRY CLEANERS, SO THINK
ABOUT THAT.
HAIR SALONS, DRY CLEANERS, EVEN
LANDSCAPING SERVICES.
PRE-PAY FOR THINGS YOU KNOW
YOU’RE GOING TO USE A FEW MONTHS
FROM NOW BECAUSE YOU WANT THOSE
BUSINESSES TO BE THERE.
>> ALL RIGHT, THAT’S REALLY A
GOOD WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.
STEPHANIE RUHLE, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
APPRECIATE IT.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> THOSE GIFT CARDS ARE LIKE